Notebook-making & Socializing

Day 6

Yesterday It been a long day and I haven't slept in a bed for so long, and like every morning my hair is probably the fake copy of that of some anime character, one day it's happened that I looked like Noctis from FFXV, the rest of the time I just looked a lot edgy.

My hair when It's short has the tendency to challenge gravity and I'm sure is the same with everybody, sometimes I let it grow and the maximum length reached is just above the breasts, usually I tend to cut them at the beginning of each summer, but then I gave priority to practicality. I've only been to the hairdresser once, and once in high school, my mother usually cut them, then I started to do it by myself.

I woke up very early, the sky is slowly clearing but still need some time before sunrise, I dressed up and covered my face, rearrange my backpack and head to the river.

All around grow shrubs full of berries, I guess they are someone's, but for now you can not see anyone.

I undress quickly to give me a wash, a basin of water and a sponge last night was not enough. Once finished with all my needs, in which I probably took half an hour, I went back to the town, or more precisely to the shop where I bought the maps, to buy some paper and to the shop nearby for an awl, a sewing set and a few rolls of thick thread, after which I can give a leather shop some cheap scrap. I spender a total of 2 small gold, 3 medium copper (1L copper = 10 M copper) and 6 small copper.

What I want to do with them you ask ? Well, I want make some diary and notebook, 3 for me and the rest for sell.

On the first and second page, I copied the global map, there's a few millimeters of error, but they are more than good and after a while 'I took my hand I started to remember the map by heart. Copying work is a breeze for me because of my old job, plus I'm Chinese, so it's basically in my DNA, lol.

Jokes aside, you probably need an explanation about with what I drawing and writing...ahem...

I've brought with me my pencil case...it is not something useful for survival in a forest, except for the pencils and the plastic tube of the pen, so I left it aside when I made the inventory, along with a certain amount of stuff, but we'll talk about it again in the future...

___

So I spent all the day on a clean table of the inn, the room is strangely big, in a corner of the room where the direct light of the windows did not reach me, this factor is very important, those who have done technical drawing know it well, all of the day to draw 7 maps, rets of the day to just make 4 books with 180 page each, modestly speaking, the stitch of the bookbinding is really well made and the seam that ties it to the leather cover is elegantly elaborate.

I have five more books left, some little cords to keep the book closed, the bookmark. I want to add these to make them more expensive...putting so much hard work on that...hope it will really sell...IT MUST BE.

Raising my head, I realized that people are watching me.

Damn, I was so focused that I did not notice, during the morning and the afternoon everyone was busy with work and did not pay much attention to what a small guy on a small table in the corner of the room was doing, but now, during dinner time, people gather in the premises, especially men ...

Luckily is just Dhalkin, who is at the table next to mine with some colleagues.

(By the way, this place is really huge...)

Seeing that I have notice him he decided to start the conversation. We chatted for a while, but then someone cutter in.

< Dhalkin, I didn't now that you prefer small kids, too. >

I can't understand him. But Dhalkin is making a really disgusted face.

The man is wearing a white linen shirt embroidered at the edges, the quality of the cloths is really good, same for his black pants and at his feet he wears well-polished mocassins, this guy is certainly rich, probably a merchant, they seem to know each other well.

His features seem human except for the reptilian eyes and the black feathers on his forearm.

It is a chimera, a mixed-race, born from the crossing of different races, almost all the inhabitants of the nations of the alliance are like that. Anyway, he's a handsome man with wavy short hair, but I don't like him, there's something off about him that make me uncomfortable.

Let's try to greet him.

"Good evening, young man. My name's Ashley, may I ask your name and all of you gentlemen here? Since we're here together, I think It's better to know at least each others' names."

With this, the people at the table turn to stare at me silently, this made me a little 'anxious...

Now that I think about it, this is the first time I introduce myself, how is it possible... I've entered the town without using my name all along...plus this is the first time using english to speak exept when Dhalkin asked me if I can speak other language and with the shopkeepers and innkeeper this morning...And calling a bunch of rough men ""gentlemen"" is a bit...hilarious...???

"Pffff..." [Ashley (alias)] I feel so stupid...

I can't tratein myself, but I'm still try to suppress le laugh covering my mouth or else they will found out my real gender.

"I'm ... sorry...h..ah..h..hhh...this...whole situation...it's...so funny..."

I'm really making a fool of myself...

Seeing that they all start laughing, that's good, that's really good...

__

" Good evening, sonny, this old me is Johra, this's my grandson that you already know, that bastard with red feather is Mifheth, and this grumpy old fart at my left here is Darius. Mifh, know a bit of Bereth but not enough to speak is well and the buffer is too dumb to learn." (Johra)

The one who speaks is a head taller than Dhalkin even while sitting (in short, a giant), they're resembles each other a bit especially the eyes, don't now the rest because his wild beard covers half of his face, his hair is black striped with white and grey collected in 3 long braids.

The youth called Mifheth have blood red 20~10 cm long feathers instead of hair, amber eye and tanned skin, his face have a lot small scars and his expression now make him cutely childish. He have a slender body and seems to be tall as Dhal. He seems the youngest one of the party.

And lastly, Darius, he have bluesh skin and red eye and ruffled white hair, on the sides from above the ears, two horns appear, which curve towards the back. He has a frowning expression accentuated even more by his thick eyebrows, the best part is his mustache...it's beautiful...

He's tall too. Everybody here is tall, I'm literally a midget, a dwarf...

<Insulting me are you ? Mifh, Johra is insulting me, he is > (Darius)

<Yes, he's saying a lot insults. Sure I am he calls you 'fart' .> (Mifheth)

<You rotten Yorm of a Pokrath!!> (Darius)

***ELOQUENCE***

"Nice to meet you Ashley, my name is Lizathir, sorry for my rudeness, earlier you called me "Young Man", but how old are you? You don't look old." He says pointing my uncovered hands.

Straight to the point , he's really attentive, isn't he? Eheheh, it's always fun to chat with people like him, but also stressful.

I need to be careful...

"I'm 37, my birth day is the 7th day of the 10th month.

Oh! Miss, could you please bring some cider for me ? "

According the calendar of the Earth, my birthday should be 5 days ago...hope to find out what kind of calendar works here...when I was speaking I've seen the waiter passing by so I asked some drink since I feel thirsty, this afternoon I heard some clients ordering cider, It's been almost 20 year , since the last time I drank some good cider, when I went to Nederland, there's no cider in Italy, only In the northern regions, but I didn't have many opportunities to travel...

"What a pity..." (Lizathir in a low voice)

Hearing that Dhalkin glared at him, I hear him too and I'm sure it's not referred to what I was thinking .

"You pedo..." (Dhalkin)

Oh my...let's just keep a nonchalant attitude.

"Mr Lizathir, so you prefer young people, I saw a lot of men tha looks young."

"Not just they're look, but they should...you now...innocent..."

YOU SHOTACON BASTARD

" Virgins? "

Hearing me the others nearly chocked themselves.

"Ashley...what are you..." (Dhalkin)

"Of course, if you target kids, you could be certain of that, but on my opinion they're not sexual material, during the childhood they're not ready for this kind of things because they're not enough developed , during adolescence is not good too, because they are in a moment of great changes, so very unstable both physically and spiritually, often they do not even know WHAT they are doing and not even WHY, of course I'm talking in general, I know that there are also special cases ...so adult are preferable. " Meanwhile my cider have arrived ~

I really like being a smart aleck when I have the chance...Girl! Control yourself!! Dammit !!

The group of people is watching me with wide eye.

"Wooow, you sure now a lot, finally someone with logical reasons. You're really well educated, aren'n you? " (Lizathir)

" I had the opportunity..."

"How lucky " (Lizathir)

"I'm indeed a lucky person, so lucky that I'm scared..."

"Why?! Isn't that pretty good ? ". (Lizathir)

"I am of the idea that the world works by maintaining a certain balance in everything, however imperfect this balance may be. Then as the good things increase, so will the bad ones."

"..."(Liz)

"You talked a lot, didn't you say you got a sore throat ?" (Dhal)

"Ahem...Thanks for your concern." Then I start drinking my beverage. Sweet~

Obviously, to hide my face I raised the first one round of the pieces cloth that's wrapped like a scarf covering my nose and my long fringe makes it even more difficult to distinguish my face.

"I think you know that you looks very suspicious, at first I thought you were one of those cold and dark bastards or a slimy thief." (Johra)

"Right! Right! The first time I have see you I think to arrest you ! " (Mifheth)

<Ja! Ja!> (Darius)

"Sorry...But before I expose my appearance I need to confirm a certain thing, that involve my safety...it's a long story about me, a bunch of angry people and some money...

I really don't want to talk about that."

""""Ooooooooo..."""" <???>

< *translation* > ... <OoooOo!>

They're believing me!! At least...I HOPE SOooo~

" Are you not worry about your family? What if these people make trouble to them? You talked about your safety but what about theirs?! " (Dhalkin)

He said that with a reproachful tone, but I can say that he probably don't even believe in what I've said. Lizathir too, his eyes is slightly narrowed and lips curved in a mocking smile, supporting the head with one hand resting the elbow on the table. Want to punch ya, dude~, I wanna punch you, straight between the eye...

Anyway, I should thank you Dhal, should I try to call him Dhal one day...he gave me the occasion to say some truth.

"My family should be fine, they're in my homeland, far away from where I used to do my business. They run a farm near a small village where I have a lot relative, so they can help each other. I could live peacefully there, but I decided to continue my studies, then I opened a small workshop and accept jobs by commission. I didn't visit my family for 24 years. Only some letters once a year, but I used to burn them all after read them, I don't have a good relationship with my parents, they're a bit much against my decisions. But from the letter I received from my sister 2 month ago, they're all well and happy, except for my mother that always make a fuss about everything."

"You have a sister!? How old? Is she cute?" (Liz)

"Seems like you don't have preference about gender, I have 3 cute sister and you will never see them, not even if the sky fell." [Calm voice]

"I was just curious!" (Liz)

"""Yeah yeah, as If. """ (Ash/Dhal/Johra)

What a fun comedy~ Life really is a play~